The subdued Bengals TE Ben Utecht doesn't look close to returning and he admitted he still has to make the big decision to return to play at all. But since his symptoms are still lingering, he's not there yet.
On Monday, Utecht met with Dr. Robert Cantu, a renowned concussion expert based in Boston. Bengals trainer Paul Sparling said the club has already been giving its players baseline cognitive examinations for more a decade so that doctors know what that individual's normal brain function is after he suffered an injury. A few years ago at a concussion summit the NFL mandated that all players undergo those baseline exams.
The Bengals use a consultant to handle their concussion examinations, Cincinnati-based neuropsychologist Thomas Sullivan, and Utecht has made weekly visits to have his progress checked.
Utecht said all the doctors have told him basically the same thing: All but the most severe concussions heal. It's merely a matter of how long. He cut his first Christian CD back in the spring and he and his wife just had their first child about four months ago, so he's got a lot to ponder with a fifth concussion.
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